Mining and loading machine



Jan- 12, 1954 J. J. sLoMER 2,665,794

MINING AND LOADING MACHINE Filed June 12, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 EMS/0N IN VEN TOR.

Patented Jan. 12,1954

"2,665,794 -MNING AND" `LOADING MACHINE r, eticagaixuft Gatahiimnufaeturing company, chicago, 1114s corporation `o"`f Illinois lnmlicatiisn June-i2, 1951, serial No. 231,070 claims. (o1. 198;109j

s inyentio'n relatesgenerally to `mining and rly to' a r i improved mining and loading nejof the type sometimes referred to as a "con nuous mining machine for removing coal. salt, ore andthe jlikedirectly from thesolid. 5 This type or machine isillustrated in detail in nl; A, Lindgren and Richard Ci Lundquist application erial No. 186,326,1i1ed September 23, ,1,95% Blfey; itcomprisesaportable main frame witlrhorizontally swingable front and rear "aux- 10 iliaryirameswover which V is trained an endless chain-type; conveyor. At the front of the con'- ye'yqris --gathering means eilective to pick up materialfrom theiloorl and `transfer it to the con'- yeyojr.- n1-operation, the eut-ung and disiodging 15 head, Valso carried by the auxiliary frame, is stunned into the mine faeces-the` auxiliary frame, which is reciprocablerelative `to the main f rarne, movesforward. Afloop is frn'i'ed in a slack portion of the conveyor chain and apressure-actu- 20 atedcylinder or hydraulic motoris provided for maintaining the loop `exteiiedto keep it properly tensioned during forward and rearward reciprocations ofthe auxiliary frain. This automatically varies tneeffectiveiength of the echi/@yar 25 cliain'when the auxiliary frame reeiprocatesaid also varies it in al'sser extentwhen eitli of the auxiliary frames is lswung' crtiited.

in the aboteementienedj dberidmg applica; tion, a'hydraiilic 'control syste`1, 'w "as provided gij which utilized separate pumps; oiiefexllisivelyior the chain tensioning circuit, and another forthe swlngiils'. vtilting and "sr'ping j'fiintions o f the aiixiliaryfrariesinservice, this arrangement hals-beenrfndidis'adt dus-fenice@ efiidre ,-,5 o1' either pump would necessitate 'colripleteA shut-1 down ftli'e rnac`hine.

Accordingly, ar specific object of tl'e present invention is to provide an improved hydraulic control system in a continuousjmir'ie of the type 4i() mentioned whienwiu bi Qferuggeg kin use and Whicliii'ayfuiti v'en fter failure j'of ne "of fhepumpuits, i

'otherosiects and" from the '.rouowin'g' tionwlthtlie dawin `Figure l'isaplanView;` certaincompoiiits, of acor 1 o` "l chineeniploying 'oiiee'mbdirnerit of the'pesent invention;, `d nig-cris a fragmentary, die thema'chine havin uprimpqse of umpire-contrai 'system according wthentunventlon.

ings,` `themining machine is substantially` 4identical to that described inthe above-mentioned patent application, Serial No'. 186,326 except for the details `of `the particular improvement"tili-y scribed herein. For details of the machine generally, reference should be made to the earlier application,

Brieily, the miner shown in'the 'present 'dra'vrings comprises a main frame 2:1, portabl'y 'mount'- ed on endless treads 22Jand' driven `by motors 2l through gearingV not shown; A `rear "auxiliary frame or boom 24 `is mounted for sidewise svviii-` ing movement about a vertical axis W andfor up and down tilting movement about a horizontal axis Y. Cylinder `and pistonrne'aris 28 ;r i d 2l, 21, acting between the main andiear atixiliay frames, serve respectively to svvirig "and, tilt the rear auxiliary frame. At `the front of the mainframe, asu'bifi" 28 is swingable about a Vertical axis Xby cy der and piston means 29 attached to the `infin frame. An'auxiliary frame 3| 'isreciprocab1y`r """te'd `on theswingable sub-frame, being moi/ab piston andcylin'der inean's 3 2; 3 2 acting bet n the sub-framev andthe auxiliary fraaie. The iliary `frame 3| `carries'a cutting dis i headzs-.an'd @pair or si'defraking gaine n ment-s sa. caen of whichae'afwn by not shown) from motors I3 4, 34,

iiai'ttoexpand the 1o``p whenever pressure is -ends of the sumping cylinders 32.

asomar introduced in the uid operable motor means 48, which is here shown as a cylinder and piston acting between the spreadable idlers 45 and 46.

Referring now to the improved hydraulic control system, a pair of pumps 5l and 52 are arranged in parallel with one another and adapted to draw fluid Yfrom a tank 53 through conduits 54, 56 and 51. Since they are arranged in par allel the pump units l5| and 52 normally cooperate to feed pressure into a common output conduit 53 when they are both operating. For convenience, the two -pump units may be referred to collectively as the pump means 5S?. The cutput side of the pump is connected by conduit 55 to a manually operable distributing or control valve 6l which controls various swinging, tilting, and sumping functions of the machine,

'Ihe distributing valve `6l is here shown as a conventional multi-port valve of the type described in detail in co-pending application, Serial No. 202,503, of Joseph J. Slomer, filed December 23, 1950. Briefly, the multi-port distributing valve comprises a series of individual con- Inected units Sla, Bib, Glc, and Bld stacked in side 4by side relationship, in communication with each other, and each 4controlling a single function. They are so interconnected, lthat when the handles 62 are all in their neutral position (as shown in solidlines) fluid is by-passed directly .to tank through the conduit 63.

Describing the valve unit Sla, for example, it

has inlet-outlet Iports A-A connected respectively to correspondingly designated ports `at the Thus, when the operating handle 62 of valve unit 5ta is moved inwardly to its inner broken line position, -uid ows out of the valve port A, into sumping `cylinders 32 and displaces fluid back through valve port A' (which now communicates, witha Iin Vthe valve assembly, with 'the return conduit A63) to tank. And, when the operating handle is moved outwardly, to its outer broken line position, fluid is reversed through ports A-A to cause the sumping cylinder to be actuated in the opposite direction, with the displaced fluid being returned to tank through the port A.

In -a similar fashion the front swing cylinder .29, the rear swing cylinders 25, and rear lift cylinders 21 are actuated by valve blocks SIb, Eile, .and Bld, respectively. This valve block arrangement may be added to, as indicated at Bft, for actuating an additional function or functions. f It is essential that the motor 56, which Iturns the conveyor driving sprocket 44, never be started before the chain is properly tensioned. Otherwise the chain would slip o the rotating sprocket and damage would result. To this end, a pressure switch 61 is connected into the pump output conduit 58 and controls the motor lines l68, 69 to permit starting by main switch 1l only .when the pump units are producing enough pres-l sure to properly tension the chain in the manner to be described.

A by-pass conduit 12, having a pressure regulating valve 13 and a check valve 1d in series, is connected between the tensioning cylinder 43 and the pump output line 58. Usually, the normal back-pressure in the output line will be high enough to direct sufficient pressure upthe line 12 to actuate the tensioning cylinder. If not, a

Ametering or throttle-type back-pressure valve,V

indicated in broken lines at 18, may be employed in the pump output line. To obtain the maximum possible benefit from the normal backpressure in the output line, the by-pass line 12 should be connected as close as possible to the pump means 59.

A pressure relief valve 11, set at a pressure higher than the output pressure of the regulating valve 13, is provided in a return line 18 which connects the tensioning cylinder and the tank.

In operation, as pressure is fed into the rear ends of the sumping cylinders 32 to advance the reciprocable frame 3| during sumping, the effective length of the conveyor 38 will rbe extended as the direction-changing element 4l is pulled forward away from the relatively xed element 39. As this movement proceeds the loop in the slack side of the chain will be decreased .thereby forcing fluid out of the tensioning cylinder 48 into the line 12. Now, since it cannot pass through the check valve 14 it will be diverted through the pressure relief valve 11 and returned lto tank through the conduit 18.

In an application where the sumping cylinders 32 and the swinging and tilting cylinders Vare sized to require an operating pressure of one thousand pounds per square inch under normal operating conditions, pumps 5l and 52 should be rated at, say, fifteen hundred pounds per square inch capacity in order to provide a reasonable safety factor. The pumps may be of the same gallon-per-minute capacity if desired, or they may be different, depending ongtherrequirements of the particular installation.V Ifthe tensioning cylinders 48 are sizedto operate at one hundred pounds vper square inch or less, the pressure reducing valve 13 will be set to provide `a somewhat higher constant output pressure, say, one hundred and fifty pounds persquarefin'ch. And with this setting, the relief valve 11 will be adjusted to relieve at a somewhat higher pressure, say, two hundred pounds per square inc h.

With the hydraulic operating and control system herein described, the operation of the machine will not be critically dependent on the constant functioning of any one pump.A Thus, while both pumps 5I and 52 may be'required for full speed operation of all the parts, either one of the pumps would be capable of automatically taking over oper-ation of the entire machine, at somewhat reduced speed, upon failure of the other pump. In actual practice in a mine; this would be a substantial advantage for it would permit the operators of the machine in many ycases to complete a shift or clean up a room while postponing shut-down of the machine for repairs to the next shift.

While one form in which the present invention may be embodied has been shown and described, it will be understood that various modifications and variations thereof may be effective without departing from .the spirit and scope ofthe invention as defined by the Vappended claims. Y

What I claim is: l

l. In a mining and loading machine, the combination of a portable main frame, an auxiliary frame carried by said main frame and `mounted for back and forth reciprocable movement Yand for horizontal swinging movement with respect thereto, an endless conveyor member 'trained about direction-changing elements carried respectively .by said main and auxiliary; frames,

loop responsive to fluid under pressure, fluid pressure operable means for' adjustably 4moving said auxiliary frame, main valve means for controlling operation of said fluidwpressureioperable means, pumpmeansconnected to draw fluid from a tank*` and 'supply fluid to said main control valve means, `conduit means connecting saidpump, means with said main control valve means for effecting actuation `of the individual adjusting functions of the auxiliary frame upon operation of said. valve means, a by-pass conduit connecting vsaid motor means with the output side of said pump meanson theinlet side of said main 'control valve means, pressure reducing `rifieans in said by-pass conduit for diverting a substantially constant pressure to said motor means to tension said conveyor member, return conduit meansconnecting said by-pass conduit with said tank and having a fluid relief valve set to relieve fluid pressure and return fluid to said tank at a predetermined pressure above the output setting of said pressure reducing means, and `a back pressure unit in said main conduit unit 'set to create a predetermined back-pressure in said bypass conduit greater than the output setting of said pressure reducing means.

2. In a mining and`loa'ding machine the combination of a portable main frame, an auxiliary frame carried by said main frame and mounted for back and forth reciprocable movement and for horizontal swinging movement with respect thereto, an endless flexible conveyor member trained about direction-changing elements carried respectively by said main and auxiliary frames, means for maintaining a predetermined tension in said endless conveyor member throughout the range of adjusting movements of said auxiliary frame including means between said direction-changing elements for training said member in the shape of a loop and having fluidoperable motor means associated therewith and effective to expand said loop responsive to fluid under pressure, fluid pressure operated motor means for effecting adjustment of said auxiliary frame, main control valve means for controlling operation of said fluid pressure operated means, a source of supply of fluid under pressure including a tank, a pump connected therewith, main conduit means connecting said pump to said main control valve means, a by-pass conduit connected from said main conduit means to said motor means, a back pressure unit in said main conduit on the downstream side of the point of connection of said by-pass conduit thereto, to

set up a predetermined back pressure in said byi pass conduit, return conduit means connecting said by-pass conduit with said tank and having a relief valve set to return fluid to said tank at a predetermined pressure above the setting of said back pressure' unit.

3. In a mining and loading machine the combination of a portable main frame, an auxiliary frame carried by said main frame and mounted for back and forth reciprocable movement and for horizontal swinging movement with respect thereto, an endless flexible conveyor member trained about direction-changing elements carried respectively by said main and auxiliary frames, means for maintaining a predetermined tension in said endless conveyor member through- 1 out the range of adjusting movements of said auxiliary frame including means between said direction-changing elements for training said member in the shape of a loop and having uidoperable motor means associated therewith and effective 'to' expand said ioop're'sponsive duid under-pressure, fluid-pressure operable' means 'fr adjustably moving' said auxiliary frame', valve means controlling `i'xi'ation thereof, -a `tellin-ia pump connected withsaid tank, a main conduit connectinggsaid pump to said valve -ine"ans. a-bfypass conduit connected fi-ins'aid maincfid t said il-uldfm'otor means, a return'conduit co` lng Said by-pass conduit 'Withalf-id fal t?. pressure unit in said main conduit h Stream Sideeoftheip'o'iht f cntiQn-'f'ili pass conduit thereto, forc'ratin'g a pr'edt'ermi -ed pressure in said by-pass conduit, ``a-1-'e1ief in said` return conduit -set to return ffluidjt d tank at apredeterminedpressure above the put setting of Said `back pressure unit,- n i check` valve in said by-jpass conduit en tl-'i :dew stream side `of the point `of 'connection *et returnconduit thereto; g

4. In a conveyor, an articulated vframe direction-changing devices `adjacent the thereof, an *endless conveyor 'element along said -frame and changing its direction about said direction changing devices, a hfydraul ily actuated device for adjustably mvingfsad" -rafin' to its various positions of articulation, inea'ri'sj fl maintaining va predetermined 4i'u`1i`idri`n' fx; said conveyor element in all positions of articulation of said frame including a plurality of longitudinally spaced direction-changing devices intermediate said first named direction changing devices, and about which said conveyor element is trained in the form of an open loop, fluid motor means effective to expand said loop. a tank, a pump connected thereto, control valve means for operating said hydraulically actuated devices, a main pressure line connecting said pump with said control valve means, a by-pass pressure line connecting said main pressure line with said fluid motor means, a return line connecting said by-pass pressure line with said tank, a relief valve in said return line, to return :duid to said tank upon predetermined excess pressures, and a back pressure valve unit in said main conduit on the downstream side of the point of connection of said by-pass pressure line thereto, for creating a predetermined back pressure in said by-pass conduit.

5. In an endless conveyor the combination with a main frame, an auxiliary frame mounted thereon for movement with respect thereto, hydraulic actuated means for adj ustably moving said auxiliary frame, direction changing devices adjacent the opposite extremities of said frames, an endless flexible conveyor element trained about said direction changing devices, means for maintaining a predetermined tension on said endless conveyor element throughout the range of movement of said auxiliary frame with respect to said main frame including two spaced direction-changing devices disposed between said first mentioned direction-changing devices and training said end'- less conveyor element in the form of an open loop, fluid-operable motor means associated with said second mentioned direction-changing devices and effective to expand said loop responsive to fluid under pressure, fluid pressure operated means for moving said auxiliary frame with respect to said main frame, a tank, a pump connected with said tank, valve means controlling operation of said fluid pressure operated means, a main pressure line connecting said pump to said valve means, a by-pass pressure line connected between said pressure line and said fluid motor means, a return line connected from said by-pass pressure line to said tank, a relief valve in said return line set to return iluid to tank at a predetermined pressure, a pressure reducing valve in said by-pass pressure line, and a check valve in said by-pass pressure line at the Youtlet of said pressure reducing valve and on the upstream side of the point of connection of said return line to said by-pass pressure line.

6. In an endless conveyor, a main frame, an auxiliary frame mounted on said main frame for adjustable movement with respect thereto, direction changing devices adjacent the extremities of said, ,framesL an endless conveyor element trained about said direction changing devices, hydraulic actuated means for adjustably moving said auxiliaryvframe, means for maintaining a predetermined uniform tension on said conveyor element during relative movement of said auxiliary frame with respect to said main frame including two spaced direction-changing devices between said rst mentioned direction changing devices and training said conveyor in the form of an open loop, fluid operated motor means operable to move said direction-changing devices to expand the loop, a tank, control valve means for said hydraulic actuated means, controlling movement of said auxiliary frame, a main pressure line leading to said control valve means, two pumps connected in parallel from said tank to said main pressure line, a by-pass pressure line connected from said main pressure line to said hydraulic motor means, a back pressure valve unit in said main pressure line set to create a predetermined back pressure in said by-pass pressure line regardless of the operative position of said control valve means, a check valve in said by-pass pressure line, a return line connected with Vsaid by-pass pressure line on the outlet side of said check valve, and a relief valve in said return line set to return fluid to tank at a predetermined pressure above the output setting of said back pressure valve unit.

JOSEPH J. SLOMER.

References Cited in theV le Of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,353,052 Levin July 4, 1944 2,527,452 Rose Oct. 24, 1950 2,589,827 Lee Mar. 18, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 360,458 Great Britain Nov. 2, 1931 l ma@ nu n l 

